Double-throw switch



March 6, 1928. 1,661,795

I H. J. L. FRANK DOUBLE THROW SWITCH Filed Sept. 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6'5 INVENTOR.

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H. J. L. FRANK DOUBLE THROW SWITCH 2 SheetsSheot 2 Filed Sept. 4. 1923 W ORNEY.

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Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,661,795 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON J'. L. FRANK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DOUBLE-THROW SWITCH.

Application filed September 4, 1923. Serial No. 660,673.

cover that the movable contacts cannot be moved from neutral position while the cover was open, and which can be produced at moderate cost. A further object of this invention is to provide a pivoted contact member which shall be simple in construction,

easily positioned and operated and which 15 shall have ample capacity.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved switch and a case therefor with a part of the cover broken away for the sake-of clearness. Fig. 20 2 is a side elevation of the case. Fig. 3 is a detail of the interlock between the cover and case. Fig. 4 is an'elevation of the operating handle and the support therefor removed from the case. Fig. 5 is a simi- 25 lar view of the actuating plate for the switch contacts. Fig. 6 is a section through the operating shaft" at right angles to the bottom of the case. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a movable contact and a stationary con- 30 tact engaged thereby. d

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The present switch is designed to connect the conductor wires 1 to the wires 2 or 3 at will. The switch mechanism proper is mounted on a base 4 of insulating material which is secured to the bottom 5 of a case which embodies the ends 6, sides 7 and 8 and cover 9. Mounted on the base are the pedestals 10 on which the movable contact members 11 are pivotally mounted and to which the conductor wires 1 are attached. On the base are also mounted the well known stationary contacts 12 and 13 to which the wires 2 and 3 respectively connect.

The bail 15 is a metal rod, pivoted at one end in the plate 16 attached to the side 7 and at its other end in the operating shaft 17. The straight middle portion of the bail is enclosed in a sleeve 18 of insulation which extends into a notch 19 in each of the switch contacts 11. The sleeve 18 is protected at each contact by a spool of metal having a cylindrical portion 20 and two end flanges 21.

The shaft 17 is rotatably mounted in a guideplate 23 attachedto the inner side of the side 8 and in a rectangular pushed-out portion 24 of a supporting plate 25, flanges .26 and 27 extending toward this plate 25 from the portion 24, the flanges 27 constituting the connection between them. At-

tached to the outer end of the shaft 17 is an operating handle 28 and to the inner end is attached the actuating disk 29 for the bail 15. this disk having a notch 30 to receive this bail.

The cover 9 carries a pin 32 (Figs. 3 and 6) whose inner end is adapted to pass down into the notch 30 to within the flanges 37 on the disk 29 and engage a locking plate 33 slidable in the guide plate 23 and push it down so that the finger 34 at the lower end of this locking plate is moved out of the notch 35 in the disk 29 where it is normally held by the spring 36. The disk 29 has two flanges 37 adapted to pass over the inner end of the pin 32 when the bail is swung in either direction and thus prevent the cover from being raised except when the operating handle 28 is in central or neutral position. The tongue 34 therefore prevents the bail 15 from being moved from central position until the cover is closed and the disk 29 prevents the cover from being opened while the switch is closed in either direction.

In order to prevent the cover from being opened a hook 38 is loosely mounted on the shaft 17 and is adapted to engage the pin 32 on the cover. The plate 25 and this hook are provided with flanges 39 and 40 respectively which have alined holes 41 adapted to receive the hasp of a padlock 42 shown in Fig. 2. The hook is held in the position shown in Fig. 4 by means of a spring 43 mounted on the shaft 17 as shown in Fig. 6.

Attached to the central portion 24 of the plate 25 is a lock-disk 43 having a central notch 44 (Fig. 2) and two shoulders 45 which limit the movements of the operating handle 28. This handle carries a slidable plate 46 whose outer end is in the form of a finger piece 47, whose middle portion has a. slot 48 to receive the guide bolt 49, and whose inner end is in the form of a tongue 50 extending through the slot 51 in the opcrating handle and adapted to enter the notch 44 in the disk 43. The operating handle is provided with a plurality of holes llll llli

52 to receive the hasp of a padlock when the tongue is in the notch id, the padlock preventing this tongue from moving out oi the notch and thus locking the operating handle in neutral position. llhis tongue 50 on the plate 46 is also adapted to engage the stop shoulders 45 on the disk 43.

llt will be observed that with the exception of the shaft 17, the screws and the knob on the handle. all the parts may be stamp ings, and while I prefer to make each of the elements out of a single piece of sheet metal, any of them may be made of several parts put together according to the best practices of the metal workers art. All the details may be modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim 1. In a switch, the combination of a pivoted contact comprising a triangular plate having a central notch, a stationary contact on each side of the pivoted contact, a case for the switch, a pivoted bail supported by the walls of the case and extending across through the notch in the stationary contact, a sleeve of insulating material enclosing the bail at said pivoted contact, a metal spool mounted on said sleeve within the notch in the pivoted contact, and means to swing the bail.

2. In a switch, the combination of a movable contact member, an operating member therefor, a case for the switch and a cover for the case, an operating handle for the switch, means to lock the operating member for the switch and means to lock the cover, an interlocking mechanism between said locking means for the switch and cover, and a shaft to support said operating handle, switch and cover locking means, and interlock.

ltn a switch, the combination of a movable contact member, an operating member therefor, a case for the switch and a cover for the case, an operating handle for the switch, means to lock the operating member for the switch and means to lock the cover,

an interlocking mecl'ianism. between saidlocking means for the switch and cover, and a shaftto support said operating handle, switch and cover locking means, and interlock, said shaft and the parts mounted thereon being removable and replaceable as aunit.

4. In a switch, the combination of a mov able contact member, an operating member therefor, a case for the switch and a cover for the case, an operating handle for the switch, means to lock the operating member for the switch and means to lock the cover embodying a screw and a hook to engage the same, an interlocking mechanism between said locking means for the switch and cover, and a shaft to support said operatinghandle, switch and cover locking means, interlock and the exterior lock for the switch, said screw being adjustable to render the inter lock inoperative and permit the cover to be opened while the switch is in either open or closed position.

5. In a switch, the combination of a pivoted' contact member having a notch, a pivoted bail extending into said notch, a sleeve of insulating material enclosing the bail at said pivoted contact, and a metal spool slidably mounted on said sleeve and en gaging the pivoted contact within said notch.

6. In a double throw switch, a. pair of stationary contacts, a movable contact, a case for the switch, a handle adapted to cause the movable contact to engage one or the other of the stationary contacts, a cover for the case, and an interlock between the cover and the handle to prevent the cover from being opened when the movable contact is in engagement with either of the sta tionary contacts and to prevent the movable contact from being brought into engagement with either stationary contact when the cover is open, said interlock embodying means adapted to be adjusted to permit the cover to be opened while the movable con tact is in engagement with either stationary contact.

HARRISON J. L FRANK. 

